One Direction caused chaos in New York ahead of their live TV appearance on Tuesday (13Nov12) as their fans' unofficial sidewalk campsite sparked complaints from local businesses.

Hundreds of young devotees lined up on the streets close to Rockefeller Plaza in Manhattan to grab a spot to watch the pop stars' performance on the Today show, with many arriving as early as last Thursday (08Nov12) to secure their place.

The campsite was strewn with tents and clogged sidewalks for almost a fifth of a mile through Midtown Manhattan, and the chaos sparked numerous complaints from local businesses, while there were also fears the line was blocking bus lanes and affecting traffic.

Officials at NBC, the network behind the Today show, helped ease the chaos by handing out wristbands to the first 600 fans on Monday (12Nov12) and ordering them to vacate the streets until 2am on Tuesday morning, according to the New York Post.